smith



J. W. SMITH.

Gas Retort.

Patented Mrch -16, 1858.

"UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

JOHN W. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PORTABLE GAS-RETORT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,655, dated March 16, 1858.

T0 all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. SMITH, of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufaotur e and Purification of IlluminatingGas; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus, Fig. 2 an elevation of the receiver, Fig. 3 a front view of the fiange and Fig. 4 a modification of Fig. 3.

The letters of reference indicate the same parts in the different figures.

My improvements relate to the means for generating and purifying illuminating gas from oil or other fatty matter in a portable apparatus constructed for domestic use.

A represents a stove or fur-nace, which may be made of anyconvenient form to burn either wood or coal.

The generating and purifying apparatus consists of a cylindrical retort B open at one end and entirely inclosed in a concentric cylindrical casing C. B is provided with annular flanges D, which serve to keep it in position by ocoupying places between the two cylinders, these flanges have openings (a) as shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 for the passage of the gas.

The oil or other matter is fed slowly to the retort in the usual manner by a bent tube E which, passing through the cylinder C, opens into the retort B which is heated to a suflicient degree. The gas generated by the decomposition of the oil, &c., pases out at the open end of the retort into the annular space between the two heated cylinders,

through the apertures in the flanges, by which the progress of the current is somewhat retarded. The prolonged'contact of the gas with the enlarged heated surface has the effect of sufliciently purif'ying it for use. It passes from thence into the chamber F, which is provided with an outlet tube and cock, for the discharge of any fiuid which may be deposited in the pipes by condensation. A pipe Gr conveys the gas to the re ceiver H, which is construoted in the usual manner and of any capacity required. y

The retort B is 'easily removed for the purpose of being cleaned, its flanges acting as scrapers for the interior surface of the oylinder C.

I do not confine myself to the cylindrical form of B and C. They may be made of any other convenient shape.

I do not claim any apparatus which aclmits of the passage of gas between heated surfaces when the passages are only opened at intervals by the pressure of gas or steam, as such has been before described; but,

What I claimas my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The combination' of the horizontal retort B.with the casing C, when the former is constructed with an open end, and so arranged in reference to the latter that a space shall be constantly left open for the passage of the gas between the retort and the casing, in the manner described and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

JOHN W. SMITH.

In the presence of CHAS. EVERETT, GILBERT B. TOWLES. 

